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Sheikh Feiz Media Response:
Channel 7 News Report dated 16 May 2012, reporter Mike Duffy.
“Muslim Preacher Attacks Rugby League”
Channel 7 News at 6pm yesterday chose to report a story featuring myself and excerpts from a recent lecture I delivered regarding ‘The Responsibilities of a Muslim’.
As usual much of what was reported was taken out of context during this news story. Short snippets of my lecture were obtained by Mike Duffy from secondary sources and presented as news. The fact is my lecture ran for approximately 1 hour and even though the lecture was not primarily about sport or football, snippets shown in the Channel 7 news story were a ‘cut and paste’ presentation of approximately 30 seconds. A presentation, which at best portrays a false and misleading representation of my lecture. It is extremely difficult for a news reporter to present an accurate and balanced news story if many crucial points are avoided or not presented in their entirety.
The insinuation made by Mike Duffy and Channel 7 News that I, in some way disagree with sport or the game of football itself or that I dislike the NRL or that I am attacking an ‘Australian past time’ is completely false. This is an exaggerated view which does not take into account all the reasons why I do not approve with the current way the NRL conduct and promote the game of football. I, as a devout Muslim am obliged and have a duty to remind those who play or participate in the current game, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, that many of the promotions, advertising and external interactions that take place throughout the game, are against the teachings of Islam and Christianity. Both gambling and alcohol advertising/ consumption are features of the current game which are harmful to families, children and those around them. They are features which are readily available and accessible at every game, not to mention seductive in their appearance and approach.
The following points must be noted and taken into consideration when observing the comments I made during my recent lecture:
1) Sport in Islam is encouraged and promoted if it does not intentionally cause harm to one self or another individual.
2) Sport in Islam is highly recommended as a way of maintaining balance, fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
3) Sport in Islam is considered an ideal way of providing wholesome family entertainment and recreation, especially for children and youth.
4) Rugby League and many other sports in Australia are currently heavily influenced by alcohol advertising and the prolific spread of gambling; before, during and after the game. It has been proven and documented many times with regards to the negative and harmful effects alcohol consumption and gambling have on people and their families.
5) Many young children and youth who watch and play Rugby League or any other code of football are constantly being exposed unnecessarily to alcohol advertising and gambling. Children and youth are not allowed to drink and gamble, yet their role models in the game of Rugby League and football in general are mainly sponsored by the alcohol and gambling companies. We see constantly during a football match, during the height of the game, gambling being pushed and promoted in a way that is made so easy for the consumer to participate. It’s no surprise the rate of alcohol and gambling addicts is on the increase.
References:
• Salvation Army- Alcohol Awareness, Focus on Youth drinking http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/about-us_65047/services/alcohol-awareness.html
• Charles Livingstone, Deputy Head of the Department of Health Social Science at Monash University- High Time we Punted Gambling Dependency from Sport http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2812564.html
6) Major injuries, in particular to a player’s head are dangerous and have proven to lead to permanent long term sickness. Rugby League and other physical sports openly promote ‘clashes’ and ‘hit- ups’.
References:
Four Corners ABC Channel- Hard Knocks
“>http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/05/10/3499950.html
It is a shame that the purity of sport in Australia and worldwide, which should be for the enjoyment and recreation of all, has now reached a level where the evil acts of gambling, alcohol advertising and physical clashes are present in almost every aspect of the game.
I am not so naive to believe that football and other codes of sport in today’s world do not need advertising or sponsorship. All sport has to be funded to remain viable. However I question the moral, social and monetary price you and I are paying when our children, who love their footy are forced to ‘compete with the devil before they compete with their mates’.
